This invention relates generally to food processing apparatus and methodology, and more specifically relates to apparatus and methods for chilling food products, particularly seafood products.
Seafood products, such as oysters, clams and the like, are highly sensitive and perishable foods, requiring stringent processing conditions, and a high degree of care in shipment thereof. Adherence to such rigid processing schedules and maintenance of the food products at specified conditions during shipment is important in order to provide good texture and quality in the food product, and is a necessity as well from a strictly hygienic viewpoint -- i.e. in order to assure that the products do not become contaminated with undesired bacteria or so forth. Indeed in the latter connection various laws and regulations have been promulgated pursuant to or in conformance with Federal or State-established standards. For example, in many instances a requirement is thus imposed that fresh oysters must be emplaced in their shipping containers and be thereafter maintained at 40.degree. F or lower.
Pursuant to the foregoing, much interest has centered in apparatus and methodology for chilling freshly caught and processed seafood, such as oysters, clams or the like, to bring these products to a desired low temperature, e.g. typically 40.degree. or less, whereat they can be further processed -- as by a subsequent freezing step, or by direct emplacement in containers for shipping as fresh product. Among other things it is significant in chilling products of the mentioned type to bring the product as rapidly as possible to the desired chilled temperature. This in order to avoid damaging or harm to the product flesh, and to avoid loss of volume and other detrimental effects.
Various techniques have been used in the past to achieve the relatively rapid chilling above mentioned. For example, conventional mechanical refrigeration has been employed for such purposes, but this is a relatively expensive operation, particularly if large installations are involved -- as is the case in the seafood industry. Similarly, simple ice and water baths have been used for such purpose, but prior techniques based on such approach have again been relatively expensive, and it has been found further that conventional ice and water baths tend to damage the product, and cause loss of yield.